


The time is out of joint

by pickyourselfupfred



Series: Fred and Ginger forever [31]
Category: Astaire/Rogers RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-06
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-12-11 19:45:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11721267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pickyourselfupfred/pseuds/pickyourselfupfred
Summary: The years after their last RKO movie.





	The time is out of joint

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Samantha](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Samantha/gifts), [jeff](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeff/gifts).



> For my two greatest readers, thanks for hanging in there.

Ginger opened the mail box as she usually did each day and, seeing the letter lying there, uttered a small sigh. It was a letter she hoped she’d receive yet it filled her with a kind of dread. The envelope was addressed in that familiar, slightly spidery scrawl that she knew oh so well. She debated what to do then, making a quick decision, ran upstairs to her dressing room clutching the letter to her breast. It was a room that Jack, when he was around, hardly ever went into so in that big house it was her only safe place. Sitting at her dressing table she hesitated, trembling slightly, before slipping a finger under the seal and taking out the letter. The first three words put all her fears to flight.  
“My dearest Gin,  
It’s now been nearly a year since I last saw you and spoke to you. I promised I’d stay away and I have but oh how I’ve missed you. I haven’t written either and I always write. Oh yes I did send that very formal thank you for the gifts and card you sent for Ava’s first birthday. I should have known you’d do that because you’re a very classy lady. She’s a darling baby and I’d love you to see her and her to know you someday but, feeling as you do, that probably won’t happen.  
How are things with you? I’ve been watching your movies of course and things are going so swell for you. Gee did I spend all those years holding you back.  
How’s Jack? I hope you now have the marriage you deserve and should have. I know how busy you’ve been with your fund raising work too. You’re making a splendid effort with that. I’ve read a lot about the things you’ve done in the papers and trade mags.  
Life here is much the same, that is to say we’re back to normal at home. Phil and I maintain our usual arrangement of tolerance with each other but she keeps her distance unless, publicly, she has to be with me. I know now she’d never have given me that divorce. Her reputation means that much to her so I’ve got to make the best of it. She wanted another child and I’ve given her that and she’s a lovely little girl but what a life, what a pretence. It’s made me so bitter Gin and what’s more it’s all my own fault. You know, out there on these war tours, I meet 18 year olds who have more courage than I’ll ever have. Everything is so hard for them but they’re so cheerful in the face of possible death.  
Anyway enough of me. I’m not really important with the world as it is. I do my best and Adele’s joined me on a couple of occasions. It’s been great having her around. I’m so glad you’ve met her Gin, she liked you a lot and she never, ever liked Phil. What I’ve seen though has made me think about my life so maybe I’ll soon retire from movies. With all this carnage what’s the point. I’ll go off to the ranch and perhaps I’ll find some peace there. What’s the use of dancing anyway without a partner like you. I’ve danced with others since but it’s not like dancing with you.  
Sorry, I’m rambling on, but God, Gin I’m going to say it. Would you please agree to see me just once. I don’t want anything more than just to see you and chat to you. We always talked and you have a way of making everything right.  
I love you as much as I ever did and always will. I miss you terribly and losing you has broken my heart. I know you’ve married and I have no right at all but… If you don’t want this I’ll understand, I have to understand. If I don’t hear back from you I’ll not write again and I’ll avoid you wherever possible. Please though take the time to think about it.  
Loving you as ever, my baby.  
Fred”

As she finished reading Fred’s words she became conscious of the tears streaming from her eyes. Oh why did this man move her so and what precious memories she had and shared. Her reverie was interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell. She moved to the window overlooking the front stoop and saw the figure of a delivery boy cycling rapidly away from her home. Dropping the letter she ran downstairs, opened the door and found, propped up against the step, a phonograph record. Attached to the sleeve was a brief note.  
Listen to this when you’ve read my letter. I sang this in the stage show and I wanted to sing it to you but the studio nixed it. When you hear the lyrics I hope you’ll understand.  
She needed no persuasion and very soon was carefully placing the stylus down on the disc and listening for the message in the song. Now his familiar, beloved voice filled her head and her heart.

Though with joy I should be reeling,  
That at last you came my way  
There’s no further use concealing,  
That I’m feeling far from gay.  
For the rare allure about you  
Makes me all the plainer see  
How inane, how vain, how empty  
Life without you would be.

After you who  
Could supply my sky of blue?  
After you who  
Could I love?  
After you why  
Should I take the time to try?  
For who else would qualify  
After you who?  
Hold my hand and swear  
You’ll never cease to care  
For without you there  
What would I do?  
I could search years  
But who else could change my tears  
Into laughter, after you?

 

As the last notes notes died away her mind was fogged with the circumstances that had brought this terrible separation about.

After completing the Castles they both had tried, as they had been told, to seize the day. Both had seen each other, had precious time together whenever they could but both were plunged into a frenzy of movie making, particularly Ginger who had made those dramatic stories which expanded her horizons as a serious actress. Fred had made a couple of musicals with new partners, firstly Eleanor Powell, of whom the kindest thing he could say was that she put down taps like a man. These disappointed him greatly and he knew he never replace the magic of his time with Ginger. He felt he was drifting and lost, an emotion made more real by Ginger’s Oscar for Kitty Foyle. He was genuinely thrilled for her though regretting being unable to attend the ceremony with her. He felt so acutely that he had held her back, been selfish as he told her again and again. She refuted that of course. She’d had the best moments in her life and in movies with him and if studios devalued women like her as serious actresses so be it- she’d fight back and Fred knew she would.  
It was making her first movie after Kitty Foyle that things began to unravel. Fred had come over to RKO to ‘catch up with old pals’ but of course made a beeline for his lovely girl. They had a great time on the set of ‘Tom, Dick and Harry’ messing around and laughing a lot until some publicist, seeing them together, had the bright idea of exploiting their meeting to sell Ginger’s latest movie. So photos were taken, mainly of the two of them plainly enjoying each other’s company. It was part and parcel of their industry and neither thought much about it until the articles hit the papers with headlines like ‘ Fred and Ginger together again’, ‘He just can’t stay away’, ‘The only girl for him’.  
It bought a backlash. Phyllis had confronted Fred saying, although the marriage was a sham, she’d not be insulted by his flagrant relationship with that tart Ginger. She wanted to show the world and her friends that her marriage was rock solid and the best way to do this was to have another child.  
Fred had turned to his soulmate. ‘What can I do Gin? You know I haven’t slept with her since she found out about us. I don’t want a child of mine to be brought into the world to shut up a bitter and controlling woman’.

Ginger had looked him straight in the eye. ‘She won’t divorce you and she hates me enough to ruin both our reputations. She’s won the game Fred and we have to play by her rules. Give her the child she wants and be a good father to it. We have to live strange lives but for me it’s enough that our paths meet whenever they can and our love lasts for ever.  
So, with Ginger’s blessing a child was born, a little girl who soon came to be the apple of her dad’s eye. All seemed well until, a few months after the birth, Fred engineered a ‘chance’ meeting up with Ginger at the Trocadero. Randy Scott, a good friend of both, had brought Ginger as his date but soon, tied as they were by some strong invisible thread Fred and Ginger were seated next to each other, chatting lightheartedly, giggling over some private joke and even stepping out on the dance floor. Phyllis was left kicking her heels, her expression growing sourer by the minute as she watched what she couldn’t control happening before her eyes. It wasn’t even that she loved Fred, perhaps she never really had, but he represented prestige, status and a meal ticket for life. Her anger at seeing the affection and adoration her husband and his woman inspired in each other made her take action. When Ginger slipped away to the powder room Phyllis followed her and soon an almighty confrontation was taking place. What was said Fred would never know but he saw the anguish on Ginger’s face when she returned. Her distress caused him to ask her to step out on the terrace to get some air. When they were truly alone she took his hand and began to speak.  
‘Fred I can’t take this any more. I’ll always love you but we can’t meet again. You must stay away from me, we have to end our relationship here and now. Please, please avoid me whenever possible. Don’t come to the studio or my home. I’m going to have to get a different life, do different things and seeing you would make that impossible. If you love me enough and I know that you do, you’ll promise to keep your distance whatever happens’.  
Fred had been staring at her with mounting horror.  
‘What’s happened baby? We’ve had a great evening. Have I done something wrong? Tell me what’s going on’.  
There were tears clouding her eyes.’No explanations Fred, just promise me not to come. I can’t and won’t say any more’.  
He shook his head despairingly.  
‘If you say I must then I will but…..’  
‘No buts Fred, just tell Randy to drive me home’.  
And so he’d left her there and had kept his promise. He’d thrown himself into movies and then had come the news that she’d married a marine Jack Briggs, a hasty wartime marriage. Finally he could take no more and had written her his letter.

She thought long and hard but her heart betrayed her. She took up a pen and began to write a reply.

‘My dearest Fred. I love you as much as I ever did and always will. I miss you awfully and having to lose you has broken my heart. We’re both married now and I have no right at all but….. so yes, please come to me and please find it in your heart to forgive me. Spite and anger are terrible masters and by acting as I did I have spoilt and I did spoilt he only part of my life with any meaning. Would New Year’s Eve be okay? - a New Year, a new beginning.  
All my love  
your Gin.’

 

The doorbell rang, as she knew instinctively it would, as the chime on the radio heralded a new year. This was Fred, her Fred, ….never wanting to dwell on the past but to look forward, a new start, new opportunities. As she opened the door they both stood like two awkward teenagers on their first date, then smiles of delight, a swiftly murmured ‘Sorry’ from Ginger before they were in each other’s arms as if they’d never been away. When he kissed her in that gentle, easy way they both knew that now, even if they were a million miles apart, they would always be together, forever.

**Author's Note:**

> Golly I can't believe I'm back. It's been two very traumatic years the details of which I won't go into. Thanks so to all my loyal fans and friends out there. Hopefully now the story will continue.


End file.
